With hundreds — or even thousands — or online degree programs available, the decision of which school to choose can be a daunting one. With that in mind, here’s a handy checklist of things to look for on the school’s website and questions to ask the school counselors and admissions officers. Print it out and cross off each item as you complete it. Or use it to wallpaper your Barbie Dream House. We’re not picky. (more…)

A pair of studies released at the end of 2008 endeavored to provide a snapshot of online education in the US. Both focused on higher (post-secondary) education, and both painted rosy pictures for the future of online schools, despite — or perhaps because of — the current economic recession. Here are some highlights. (more…)

The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF) has released its annual State New Economy Index, a ranking of “the extent to which the 50 state economies are structured according to the tenets of the New Economy.” Part of this ranking is what the ITIF calls “the digital economy,” a series of measurements of the states’ online conversion and readiness. (more…)

Online classes aren’t just for the higher education crowd; an increasing number of high school students are taking courses online, and in Alabama, online education will become mandatory next year. Starting in the 2009-10 school year, Alabama high school students will be required to take at least one distance learning course in order to graduate. (Michigan already has such a requirement.) The mandate grew out of the popularity of online classes with students in small schools that don’t offer the classes that students want to take, and with Alabama typically ranking in the lower tier of state educational rankings, any option to improve the resources available to students seems like a good idea. In Alabama’s case, the classes are free and take place after normal school hours. Students can work from home, but tests must be overseen by facilitators in school. (more…)

There’s one big question that surfaces any time a student considers taking an online class, enrolling in an online university, or pursuing an online degree. How acceptable will the education be to employers?

Since the value of any college degree is really determined by whether or not an employer accepts it, the question is especially important with online degrees, whose history has been somewhat shrouded in skepticism. With an online degree, would you be like Ponyboy, the lost, downtrodden outsider who can’t seem to gain a strong foothold in anything, or would you be like Donnie Brasco, the FBI agent who walked into the Bonanno crime family and became a trusted associate? (more…)